Method of and machine for making thick butt roofing



Dec. 6., 1932. c. R. MKODONALD METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING THICKBUTT ROOFING Original Filed March 1 192 Patented Dec. 6, 1932 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CHESTER R. MACDONALD, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN,ASSIGNOR, IBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE PATENT AND LICENSING CORPORATION, OF BOSTON,

CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS v MASSACHUSETTS, A

METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR, MAKING THICK BUTT ROOFING- Application filedMarch 1, 1926, Serial No. 91,385. Renewed March 8, 1932.

This invention relates to a method of and mechanism for coating themarginal portions of a continuous sheet of material in such a way as topermit the coating material to drain in some measure toward the edges ofthe sheet so as to give a certain amount of taper to the thickness ofthe coats adhering to the sheet so that the coated marginal portions ofthe sheet will be thickest at the edges and taper inwardly toward theuncoated middle portion of the sheet.

In carrying out the invention, it is preferable to use a coating fluidwhich is not too fluid, and which quickly becomes non-fluid afterapplication. The thickness -'and taper of the coating desired willgovern the choice of the coating fluid employed.

An object of the invention is to provide means for the rapid andeconomical production of manufactured roofing with thickened taperingbutts. Another object of the invention is to provide means for makingthick butt roofing units having slots or notches cut into their loweredges and enveloping the cut edges of the slots with the coatingmaterial.

An embodiment of the invention will be found illustrated on the drawing,on which,

Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically a side elevation, partly in section,of apparatus for slotting and dipping the edges of a continuous sheet ofmaterial;

Fig. 1a represents apparatus for applying grit to a surface of thedipped portions of the sheet;

Fig. 1?) represents apparatus for cooling and cutting the sheet; theapparatus shown in Figs. 1, 1a and 1?) being sections of a singlemachine for carrying out'the successive steps of manufacture of roofingunits from a. continuous sheet;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line {1-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of apparatus for applying coating materialto the sheet;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the roll 26 indicating the belts that passthcreover.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 10 represents a roll of sheetmaterial such as roofing felt, or any other material suitable for use asa roofing base as for example, asphalt-coated or asphalt-coated andgrit-surfaced roofing felt. This roll may be supported as by a frame 11.The sheet 12 from the roll'lO is led horizontally over a container 13which may be of any desired shape and is preferablyA adapted to hold asupply of liquid 14, suc for example, as heated asphalt, or similarthermoplastic, or any other equivalent coating material. Steam pipes 15may be provided to maintain the asphalt or other thermoplastic materialin liquefied form. Before being passed over the container 13, the sheet12 may be run between a pair of rolls 16 carrying cutters for cuttingslots in the marginal edges of the sheet, which may serve to defineshingle simulating tabs in the finished units. The cutting elements onthe roll 16 may be arranged to trim or shape the edges of the sheet inaccordance with any desired design in addition to or instead of cuttingany preferred shape of slot. The sheet is then passed between a pair ofguide rolls 17 a belt 18 being also'passed over the middle of the lowerroll 17. Instead of a continuous sheet 12 of indeterminate length, asuccession of individual sheets may be fed between the rolls 17. Thebelt 18 is preferably narrower than the sheet and is intended to supportthe central portion .only thereof. The sheet 12 with the belt 18 underits middle portion is then passed over the rim 19 of the container 13,whereupon one or both of themarginal portions of the sheet are bent aresupported preferably on the sides of the container 13 as on bosses 21,and are positioned to engage the marginal portions of the sheet 12 insuch a way as to bend them down into the liquid 14, the central portionof the sheet being supported above the liquid by the belt 18, and thesheet assuming a channellike form. While the marginal portions of thesheet 12 are immersed in the liquid, both surfaces of each portion arethoroughly coated with the liquid, as are also the edges of the sheetand the edges of the slots, if any. By means of a guide wheel 21supported as by bosses 22, the sheet as a whole is led updownwardly. asby vertical wheels 20, which wardly in order to leave the container withits marginal portions in their downwardly bent condition. Thedownwardlybent condition of the marginal portions is maintained as byguide rolls 23, 24, the roll 23 supporting the central portion of thesheet 12, while the rolls 24 are shaped to bear on the marginalportions, as may be seen in Fig. 4. The travel of the sheet in its bentcondition from the rolls 20 to the rolls 23, 24, permits the sheet toemerge from the coating liquid while the marginal portions are stillextending downwardly, so that the coating material on said marginalportions is permitted to drain by gravity toward the edges of the sheetand the excess coating is permitted to drip therefrom. Although I haveshown positive means for efiecting the bending of the marginal portionsof the sheet, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatthe limp and flexible character of roofing material of this type wouldpermit the same, especially when w warm, to bend of its own weight, inwhich case the rollers 20 and 24 may be dispensed with as the marginalportions of the sheet will, by virtue of their naturally flexiblecharacter and under the action of gravity, bend downwardly when thesupport of the sheet is confined to the central portions thereof. Asuitable wiping device 25, which is preferably heated, as, for example,a steam pipe, ispositioned inside the rim of the container so as toengage the edges ofthe sheet and to wipe therefrom drippings of coatingmaterial. The container 13, as shown in Fig. 1, is open, but it will beunderstood that a cover may, if desired, be provided thereover havingsuitably shaped apertures to permit the sheet to enter and leave thecontainer. After passing the rolls 23, 24, the sheet is preferablypassed over a guide roll 26, from which the endless belt 18 may bereturned to the roll 17.

In order to prevent the central portion of the sheet 12 from buckling orbulging upwardly when the marginal ortions are bentdownwardly, a secondbelt 2 equal in width 4 to the belt 18, may be led over the upper roll a17 to engage the upper surface of the central portion of the sheet 12 asit passes between the rolls 17. If it is desired to pass sheet sectionsthrough the machine instead of a 'con tinuous sheet 12, the belts 18 and27 will engage the sections and carry them through. Suitable guide rolls28, 29 and 30 may be provided for the belt 27, and, if desired, a fixedtable or guide 31 may be secured to the ends of the tank, as at 32,33,and also to suitable standards 34 extending upwardly from thebottomof the tank to support the belts 18 and 27 and the'sheet 12 duringtheir over or through the container 13.

Between the rolls 23, 24 and the roll 26 the drooping marginal portionsof the sheet are picked up from beneath by a pair of endpassage lessbelts 40, 40, on which may be deposited from a suitable feeding device54 comminuted or powdered material, as desired, to surface the underface of the sheet. The materials so deposited on the belts 40, 40 may becrushed slate, mica, coke, or talc, ground cork, sawdust, or any mixtureor equivalent of these. If the units to be cut from the sheet areeventually to be electroplated, the material on the belts 40, 40 maybeelectrically conductive grit or powder. The belts 40, 40 after beingled over a roll underneath the sheet 12 converge with the sheet towardsthe roll 26, the belts and the sheet traveling at the, same speed. Asshown in Fig. 1, the edges of the sheet are picked up by the belts 40and the sheet is straightened out so that it passes over the roll 26with its edges rounded off and surfaced by contact with the belts, andthe coated under faces of the sheet in contact with surfacing material.From the roll 26 the sheet may be led beneath a device gen- -erallyindicated as 35, for depositing bands of vari-colored grit particles orthe like on the upper coated portions of the sheet. The hoppers actintermittently as the sheet passes beneath so that each color isdeposited in a transverse band registering with one of the. tabs formedby the slots or notches in the edges of the sheet. The finished shinglestrip will thus present tabs having different colored surfacing onsuccessive tabs, an arrangement which is capable of artistic mottledeffects on .minuted material which may fall from the surface of thesheet as it is led around the lower roller 38.

The sheet may then be led by suitable guide rolls through any convenientcooling device, such as is shown in Fig. 1?), wherein is illustratedconventionally an air blast or suction device 42. After beingsufficiently cooled, the sheet may be slit as by slitters 43 on itsmedian line, that is, midway between the coated portions. The slitstrips may then be cut into units, as by suitable cutters 44, the unitsbeing conveyed to any desired assembling or packing device, as by aconveyor 45.

In Fig. 5 a modified device for coating the marginal portions of thesheet is illustrated.

- Instead of immersing the marginal portions beneath the surface ofcoating liquid in a container, the coating material may be led throughpipes 46 to suitable spouts 47,.

through which the coating material maybe allowed to flow on to the uppersurface of the marginal portions of the sheet. [he under surface of themarginal portions may be similarly coated with material ledthrough pipes48 to suitable spouts 49, from which a coating material flows over theportions of the under surface of the sheet which are to be coated. Afterreceiving the coating material from the spouts 4'7, -19, the marginalportions of the sheet 12 are maintained in their downwardly extendingposition for a predetermined interval of travel, while the excesscoating is allowed to drain down to the edge and to drip into thecontainer 50, where it is kept liquid as by steam pipes'51 and allowedto recirculate through a drain 52 and a suitable pump, not shown, backto the spouts 47,

It will be apparent that the interval of travel during which themarginal portions of the sheet are kept in a downwardly bent poforapplying the coating material thereto will permit a certain amount ofthe coating material to collect toward the edges of the ing a complete.sealing coat over the exposed surfaces and edges wh ch will effectuallypro tect the sheet material which is employed as a base from moisture.Since most material used as a roofing baseis fibrous, roofing units madetherefrom are liable to expand, wrinkle and curl as a result of"moisture entering the fibres through out ends exposed when the unit iscutto shape. It is therefore very important tosee that all exposed edgesare properly sealed against moisture-since otherwise the unit is liableto rapid deterioration in appearance and efiectiveness when laid on aroof and exposed to the weather. By cutting. the units from the sheetwith cuts registeringv with one of the slots which extend inwardly fromthe outeredges ofthe sheet,the sealing of. the butt portion of theshingle strip is not broken and when laid} the strip presents acompletely sealed surface to the weather, all the cutedges of which arealso fully protected."

Having thus described ,an embodiment of this invention, it should beevident to those skilled in the art that various changesandmodifications may bei'made therein without depart-mg from its spiritorscope as defined by the appended claims.

mined interval. sition after being removed from the means I claim: I 1.In a device of the class described, means for feeding a sheet in a flatcondition, means for bending said sheet longitudinally, means bent,thereby permitting excess liquid to f I drain from the coated portion. I

3. In a device of the class described, means for progressively bendingthe marginal portions of a horizontal moving sheet downwardly,'means forapplying coating material to part of said downwardlyextending portions,and means for retaining-said marginal portions bent downwardly forapredeterl. In a device of the class described, means for continuouslybending the. marginal por tions of a horizontal moving sheet downwardly,means for applyingcoating material to part of said downwardly extendingportions, and means for keeping the coated areas extending downwardwhile they are being removed from the coating means. I

5. In a device of the class described, means for feeding a continuoussheet horizontally, means for bending the marginal portions of saidsheet downwardly, means for applying a liquid coating to both sides ofsaid marginal portions while so bent, thereby permitting excess coatingto drain from the sheet.

6. In a device of the class described, means for feeding a continuoussheet horizontally.

means for bending the marginal portions of said sheet downwardly,meansfor applying a liquid coating to both sides of said marg1 nalportions, and'means for wlplng excess coating from t,he s heet.-

7. ,In a device ofthe class described, means for feeding a sheethorizontally, means for cutti'ngslots in the edges of said sheet, means.forbending the marginal portions of said sheet downwardly means forcoating both 7 sides of said mar inal portions andthe edges, 1 5 meansfor keepmg said marginal portions extendingcdownward during theirremoval from the coating means, means, for removing thevdrippings fromthe margin al edges of said sheet. and means for restoring the mar-igmal portions to horizontal position. 1

8. In a device of the class described, an x.

open containenfor coating material, means for feeding a continuoussheethorizontally '.over said container, means for bending a marginal portionof said sheet downwardly when over said cont-aineiy-so as to dip intosaid eoatingjmaterial, means for keepingsaid marginal portion bent whileover said container, andmeans for wiping the drippings ,130

from said sheet as it container. V

9. In a device of the class described, a conpasses from over said tainerfor thermoplastic coating material,

means for liquefying said material, means for feeding a sheethorizontally over said coating material, means for bending a mar-- 7 forbending a marginal portion of said sheet downwardly, means for flowing acoating liquid on said downwardly bent portion,

thereby permitting excess coating to drain fromthe coated area, andmeans for removing excess coating from the edge of said coated area." g11. In a device of the class described,

means for fecdingva sheet, means for supporting said sheet fora part ofits length with a Widthwise portion thereof extending downwardly, andmeans for applying liquid coating to said downwardly extending portion.

12. In a device of the class described, means for feeding a sheet, meansfor supporting said sheet-for a part of its length in a bent condition,a widthwise portion of the sheet being disposed downwardly while anadjacent Widthwise portion is carried by said supporting means morenearly horizontal,

. and means for applying liquid coating material to the downwardlyextending portion.

13. In a device of the class described,

means for feeding a semi-"flexible sheet, means widthwise extent, therest of said portion befor supporting a longitudinal portion of'the fedsheet horizontally for a part only of its ing disposed downwardly, andmeans for applyingliquid coating material to said downwardly extendingpart.

14. In a device of .the class described,

means for feeding 'a semi-fiexible sheet horizontally, means forsupporting-adongitudinal portion ofqthe fedsheet along its central areaonly the marginal areas of the sheet'being disposed downwardly, andmeans for applying liquid coating to said downwardly extending areas. i

15. The method of taper coating a semiflexible sheet of indeterminatelength, which comprises feeding the sheet, supporting the centralportion of a longitudinal section of the sheet substantiallyhorizontally disposing the marginalportions of the part of the sheet sosupported in a downward direction, and applying liquid coating to thedown wardly extending portions. 1

16. The method of taper-coating a marginal portion of a continuous sheetwhich comprises feeding the sheet with said mar- 17. The method oftaper-coating amar ginal portion of a continuous sheet'which comprisesfeeding thesheet'with said marginal portion thereof extendingdownwardly,

applying a liquid coating to said downwardly extending portion, andpermitting excess liquid to drain from the, coated portion.

18. The method of taper-coating both mar- ,ginal portions of acontinuous sheet which comprises bending said marginal portionsdownwardly, applying a liquid coating thereto, and permitting excessliquid to drain from the coated portions. 1

19. The method of taper-coating a marginal portion of a continuous sheetwhich comprises feeding the sheet with said marginal portion extendingdownwardly, applying a liquid coating to said downwardlyextendingportion, and permitting some of the coating material to draintoward the edge of the coated portion of the sheet. I

20. The method of making roofing units which comprises feeding acontinuous sheet of roofing base in a fiat conditiombending the sheetlongitudinally, applying coating material to a portion of said sheetwhile so bent, restoring the sheetto a fiat condition and cutting unitstherefrom.

21. The methodof making roofing units which comprises feeding acontinuous sheet of roofing base in a horizontal flat condition, bendinga marginal portion of said sheet downwardly, applying coating materialto said downwardly bent portion, applying grit toa surface and the edgesof the coated portion, and cuttingunits from the sheet. I

22..The method of making roofingunits which comprises feeding acontinuous sheet of roofing base with its marginal portions extendingdownwardly, applying a liquefied thermoplastic compound to saiddownwardly extending portions, permittingpart of said compound to draintoward the edges of the sheet, removing the drippings from said edges,applying grit to the coated .portions of the sheet, cooling the sheet,.slitting the.

ing both marginal portions of the sheet down wardly, applying liquefiedthermoplastic material to said downwardly bent portions so, vas to coverboth sides of, said marginal portions and all the edges, keeping saidmarginal portions bent downwardly for a predetermined interval,wipingthe drippingsfroni the lower edges of the sheet, restoring saidmarginal portions to hor zontal position, de-

positing grit on the surfaces of the coated areas, cooling said sheet,slitting the sheet midway between the coated portions, and cutting unitsfrom the slit strips.

24. The method of making roofing units which comprises feeding acontinuous sheet of roofing material in the direction of its length,cutting a series of tab-defining slots in an edge of said sheet,applying liquefied coating material to the marginal portion of the sheetincluding said tabs, and permitting excess coating to drain from thecoated areas.

25. An apparatus for the purpose specified, having in combination, meansfor longitudinally moving a piece of strip stock, means for bending downboth edges of said strip stock, while so moving, and means for guidingthe said turned down edges through a coating bath for the purpose offorming a ribbon-like coating along the edges of said strip stock.

26. The process of making prepared roofing strips which comprisessupporting a strip with a notched edge so that the portion of the stripadjacent to the notched edge extends downwardly thereto and the notchededge is free, applying weatherproofing composition to the face of saiddownwardly sloping portion of the strip so that the composition flows bygravity towards and extends over the free notched edge.

27. The process of making prepared roofing strips which comprisesfeeding longitudinally a strip with a notched edge so that the portionof the strip adjacent to said notched edge extends downwardly theretoand the notched edge is free, applying weatherproofing composition to aface of the downwardly extending portion of the traveling strip so thatthe composition flows towards and extends oVer the free notched edge,then shaping the composition to form a coating on said face which is ofgradually increasing thickness toward said notched edge.

28. In the process of making prepared roofing elements, the step ofpouring adhesive waterproofing compound on a portion of a face of theroofing base which is to be exposed to the weather when laid, causingthe coating to flow over said face portion and its marginal edge bygravity only by maintaining the said marginal edge at a point below theadjacent edge of the roofing element being treated, and applyingcomminuted surfacing material to the said portion of said coating.

29. The method of making roofing units which comprises causing a portionof a continuous strip of roofing base to travel lengthwise andsubstantially vertically on edge, applying coating material to saidportion along a line substantially above the lower edge of the strip.

30. The method of making roofing units which comprises causing a portionof a continuous strip of roofing base to travel lengthwise andsubstantially vertically on edge, projecting liquid coating compoundagainst a face of said portion in its vertical position, and applyingcomminuted surfacing material to the coated area.

31. In a machine of the class described, means for supporting a lengthof a continuous traveling strip of roofing base substantially verticallyon edge, and means for applying liquid coating material to a face ofsaid Vertically supported length along a line substantially above thelower edge of the strip.

32. In a machine of the class described, means for supporting a lengthof a continuous traveling strip of roofing base substan tiallyvertically on edge, means for applying liquid coating material to saidlength along a line substantially above the lower edge of the strip, andmeans for applying grit to cover the coated areas. 33. Steps in theprocess of making prepared roofing strips, which comprise feedinglongitudinally a strip having a notched edge with the said edge in alower plane than the opposite edge and free, flowing liquidweatherproofing material on to a face of the strip while thus fed sothat said material flows by gravity towards the lower edge of the stripand extends thereover.

34. A method of making prepared roofing strips which consists incontinuously advancing a strip, in flowing liquid material on the faceof the strip while it is advanced and when one edge of the strip is in asubstantially lower plane than the opposite edge thereof whereby saidwaterproofing material flows by gravity towards the lower edge of thestrip.

35. In the art of preparing roofing elements, the steps which comprisesupporting a portion of a continuous strip of rooting material, ofloosely matted, porous character, substantially vertically on edge,advancing the strip through a coating zone, maintaining the strip withone edge lower than the other whereby to permit drainage of theasphaltic coating material and finally subdividing the thus treatedroofing strip into shingles of the desired length.

- 36. The method of making roofing elements, which comprises causing aportion of a continuous strip of roofing material to travel lengthwiseand substantially vertically on edge, and progressively applyingliquefied coating material to the substantially vertically supportedportion of the strip along a line substantially above the lower edge ofthe strip, and maintaining the coated portion of the strip in anon-horizontal position fora sufiicient interval after the applicationof the coating to permit the coating to flow toward the lower butt edgeof the strip and to set in a coating of tapering thickness.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

CHESTER R. MACDONALD.

